Tilt Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms tilt 1 American [tilt] / tɪlt /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to lean, incline, slope, or slant.

2. to rush at or charge, as in a joust.

3. to hold poised for attack, as a lance.

4. to move (a camera) up or down on its vertical axis for photographing or televising a moving character, object, or the like.

verb (used without object)

1. to move into or assume a sloping position or direction.

2. to strike, thrust, or charge with a lance or the like (usually followed byat ).

3. to engage in a joust, tournament, or similar contest.

4. (of a camera) to move on its vertical axis.

   The camera tilts downward for an overhead shot.

5. to incline in opinion, feeling, etc.; lean.

   She's tilting toward the other candidate this year.

noun

1. an act or instance of tilting.

2. the state of being tilted; a sloping position.

3. a slope.

4. a joust or any other contest.

5. a dispute; controversy.

6. a thrust of a weapon, as at a tilt or joust.

7. (in aerial photography) the angle formed by the direction of aim of a camera and a perpendicular to the surface of the earth.

idioms

1. tilt at windmills, to contend against imaginary opponents or injustices. Also fight with windmills.

2. (at) full tilt. full tilt.

tilt 2 American [tilt] / tɪlt /

noun

1. a cover of coarse cloth, canvas, etc., as for a wagon.

2. an awning.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a tilt.

tilt 1 British / tɪlt /

verb

1. to incline or cause to incline at an angle

2. (usually intr) to attack or overthrow (a person or people) in a tilt or joust

3. to aim or thrust

   to tilt a lance

4. (tr) to work or forge with a tilt hammer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. a slope or angle

   at a tilt

2. the act of tilting

3. 1. a jousting contest

   2. a thrust with a lance or pole delivered during a tournament

4. an attempt to win a contest

5. See tilt hammer

6. at full speed or force

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 tilt 2 British / tɪlt /

noun

1. an awning or canopy, usually of canvas, for a boat, booth, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. (tr) to cover or provide with a tilt

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• tiltable adjective
• tilter noun

Etymology

Origin of tilt1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English tilte(n), tilt(e), tult “to fall down, upset, tumble,” akin to Old English tealt “unsteady,” tealtian “to stumble”; compare dialectal Norwegian tylta “to tiptoe,” tylten “unsteady,” Swedish tulta “to totter”

Origin of tilt2

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English teld(e), telt(e), tild(e) “dwelling (temporary or permanent), fort, tent,” Old English teld “tent, pavilion”; cognate with German Zelt “tent,” Old Norse tjald “tent, tapestry, curtain”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The game tilted decisively in Pakistan's favour early, with Shadab Khan ripping the heart out of the Sri Lankan innings by striking twice in his very first over.

From Barron's

The December jobs report, due Friday, could tilt the Fed’s calculus if it shows that the labor market worsened significantly versus November, when unemployment ticked up to 4.6%.

From The Wall Street Journal

Depending on the persona or context used in prompting large language models, current models subtly tilt toward particular positions – even when factual accuracy remains intact.

From Salon

The Reserve Bank of Australia left its cash rate unchanged last month, extending a pause that began in August, while warning that inflation risks had tilted to the upside.

From The Wall Street Journal

These unspoken pressures are all the more effective because leverage in the job market has tilted in favor of employers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bend
• dip
• incline
• lurch
• shift
• sway
• tip

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.